The Aftermath, Book I: Nightmares
by BolzanTheTwilightGuardian
Summary: 3 years after Malefor's defeat, Spyro and Cynder have settled down but things aren't going as smoothly as planned. With Cynder's constant nightmares, Spyro is getting worried about his wife. Little does he know that it is a foreshadowing...
1. Chapter 1: Cynder's Nightmares

Cynder awoke with a start, her heart pounding in her chest like a demented demon trying to escape its cage. As she sat up, she tried to recall her dream but to no avail. Roused by Cynder's kicking and scratching, Spyro woke up to find Cynder sitting up next to him drenched in sweat, tears rolling down her eyes.

"What's the matter, Cynder?" Spyro asked affectionately as he tried to calm his near hysterical wife. The nightmares had started innocuously enough, occasionally waking Cynder up in the middle of the night where she would laugh and just shake it off before falling back to sleep, but they had become worse as time went by, to the extent of injuring Spyro in his sleep with her claws. Spyro was genuinely worried for Cynder as he held her on the bed, wondering what could be plaguing her.

Cynder tried to speak but all that came out was a loud sob before she burst into tears as she held Spyro. There was nothing he could do but provide a shoulder for her to cry on.

It had been 3 years after Malefor's defeat and the realm hailed Spyro as a hero. Spyro, however, was never one for the limelight. He and Cynder had settled down in a log cabin they had built in the Valley of Avalar where they felt would be a great place to start a family. They had recently tried for children and now Cynder was carrying 4 eggs in her belly. It should have been a happy ending but the nightmares began plaguing Cynder shortly after the good news had been revealed. Now, Cynder was close to term and the nightmares seemed to be getting worse.

"I'm really worried about you, Cynder." Spyro said as they sat down for breakfast.

"Oh, don't worry, Spyro, it was just a nightmare." Cynder replied gaily, a weak smile playing on her face. The nightmares had really taken their toll on Cynder. Her scales had lost their lustrous gleam and were now dull with stress. She had seemingly aged years over the past few weeks. Being a first time father, Spyro was also worried about his children as much as he was worried about Cynder's well-being.

"Well, it's a nice day, want to go outside?" Spyro asked, his cheer only half forced as he chased the dark thoughts out of his head.

"Sure! Race you to Warfang!"

"I don't really think that's smart…" Spyro said as he helped Cynder clear the dishes. Cynder was expecting any day now and it wasn't a good idea for her to go flying around. Her current physical condition made it an even more dangerous prospect.

"Don't be such a spoilsport, Spyro!" Cynder pouted as she pulled a semi-reluctant Spyro out of the house. He couldn't help but admire her tenacity as they stepped out into the sunshine.

He instantly realized how much he missed the sunshine, the fresh air outside, the birds chirping. Without knowing it, he was already in the air, Cynder soaring happily next to him, the both of them laughing and careening through the air. The warm spring sunshine caressing their wings, the wind whistling through their horns as Spyro turned a somersault in midair. Cynder followed suit but at the apex of her somersault, she plummeted to the ground like a stone.

Spyro immediately went into a nosedive and caught Cynder just in time, lowering her to the ground gently. As Spyro helped her back into the house, Cynder began coughing loudly, bringing up drops of blood with every cough. Spyro, shocked upon seeing this, immediately brought Cynder back upstairs and laid a pale Cynder onto their bed. She coughed up a bit more blood before managing a faint and feeble sound that left Spyro with tears in his eyes, feeling absolutely helpless.

_"P-Please, Spyro, h-help me…It's…Malefor…"_

With those words, she lapsed into unconsciousness, leaving Spyro alone in the house, tears rolling down his cheeks as he caressed Cynder's paw. He stayed that way next to Cynder's now comatose body until late at night when he himself fell asleep, still praying for Cynder's recovery.

* * *

><p>Update: 2 August 2011- Star Duster pointed out it was supposed to be "paw" and not "hand" so I've fixed it. Thanks, Star Duster!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2: Hard Truths

When Spyro opened his eyes, he was surprised to see Ignitus peering over him, visibly relieved.

"Spyro! Finally, I thought you'd never wake up!" Ignitus said as he helped Spyro up. His back was sore from sleeping on the floor at home and he groaned in discomfort as he stood up.

"Any reason why my back hurts?"

"You were sleeping on the floor at home."

"Oh." Spyro replied absent-mindedly as he stretched and looked around the Chronicler's study.

"So, why'd you bring me here, Ignitus?" Spyro asked, still thinking about Cynder's condition back at Avalar, he let out a small sob despite himself.

"I'm sure you've already heard about this," Ignitus started solemnly as he led Spyro to the nearby chair and table. After clearing the table of books and scrolls, they sat down and Ignitus put a paw in Spyro's shoulder, clearly bracing himself for the terrible news he was about to break to Spyro.

"Malefor's back?"

"Yes, he is. However, he has not only returned, he is apparently residing in the form of a spirit in Cynder's heart." As he finished his sentence, he looked up into Spyro's eyes, now full of dread and fear.

"After the both of you defeated him, he released his spirit before he died. I'm not sure how he did it but, after I became Chronicler, I reread the scroll of Malefor's defeat and I found out about this…" Ignitus continued in a quiet tone, barely above a whisper as he picked up one of the many scrolls on the ground and lay it open before Spyro. As Spyro's eyes scanned the words, he shook his head in despair.

"_As Malefor breathed his last, a thin, ghostly wisp escaped from his mouth and entered Cynder's body, sowing its seeds within Cynder's heart, waiting for some unknown time when he would return as a force stronger than ever before…"_

Spyro stood up unsteadily and walked over to Ignitus. He stood before Ignitus for a while before beginning in a menacing tone.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Spyro-"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME ABOUT THIS, IGNITUS?" Spyro shouted into Ignitus' face as he knocked the scroll off the table violently, visibly enraged that Ignitus had hidden this truth from him all these years. He sat down, his face in his hands as he contemplated the truth behind those cruel words. Cynder was a vessel for Malefor's spirit for the past 3 years, how could she betray him like this?

"Spyro, I'm sure Cynder didn't know this past three years that Malefor was hiding in her heart." Ignitus strode over to Spyro and placed his paw on Spyro's shoulder.

"Besides, I think I know of a way to save her. But it will be perilous for both you and Cynder. Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Spyro looked up, his eyes red with tears. He nodded, wiping away the tears with the back of his paw.

"I would do anything for her, even if it means risking my life."

Ignitus gave a hearty laugh.

"Said like a true purple dragon! Now, there is a city in the East, Lazarus, where they should be able to assist you. While we guardians in Avalar are versed in the Terrarian elements: Fire, Ice, Electricity and Earth…"

"Wait, what are do you mean by "Terrarian" anyway?" Spyro asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Well, the elements you have mastered are called Terrarian because they originated from the land. However, the guardians of Lazarus are versed in the Ethereal elements: Wind, Poison, Shadow and Fear, much like Cynder's elements. They are called "Ethereal" because they are intangible and originate from otherworldly sources."

"Alright, so how can they help me?" Spyro asked with a renewed hope that Cynder could be saved.

"As for how they will help you, I cannot say for sure,"

Spyro's heart dropped like a stone.

"But, they will definitely be able to assist you in curing Cynder. I can say that with absolute certainty. Unfortunately, you will also have to bring Cynder along with you to Lazarus as, from what I know, the physical body of the afflicted has to be there. That's why it's going to be a long and tough journey. Cynder is in no condition to fly from what I have seen in your home. I sincerely hope for Cynder's recovery, Spyro. She's not an evil dragoness."

"Thanks, Ignitus. Uh, sorry I kinda blew up just now. It's the stress getting to me and I just needed to let it out somehow. Don't take it personally." Spyro apologised sheepishly, his head lowered.

"Don't worry, you're still young and I don't blame you. Now, I'm sure you need a map, right?"

As Spyro left Ignitus' study with the map depicting the way to Lazarus, Ignitus stood there for several moments, looking at the ceiling both in admiration and nostalgia at Spyro's youthful spirit. It reminded him of someone he knew a long time ago, a good friend. He strolled back to the hourglass and as he looked at Spyro awakening in the bedroom, he mumbled with a small grin.

"Well, Baero, your son really takes after you, you must be proud, my friend."

* * *

><p>Update: 3 August 2011- Changed the title of this story from "Chapter" to "Book". Seemed more fitting.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3: Towards the Cure

The sunlight tickled Spyro's muzzle when he awoke, he had evidently been asleep for the entire night. Quite rare with everything that happened lately. He stood up, stretching his spine. On his bed, Cynder stirred slightly, groaning in discomfort. Spyro heard this and turned around, expecting Cynder to have miraculously recovered, no luck with that, however. Cynder looked much more ill than the night before. Her scales were slowly flaking off, the bed sheets stained with her sweat and blood. Cynder opened her eyes weakly, looking straight into Spyro's eyes. He saw that her eyes had become a fathomless black, pleading with Spyro to help her. With no time to lose, Spyro gingerly lifted Cynder off the bed and descended the steps. He suddenly realized how frightfully light she was. Her wings and tail hung limply at her side, dragging across the wooden floor. She seemed more dead than alive, the way she could barely keep her eyes open.

"Where are we going?" Cynder asked Spyro in a soft, fragile voice, her pain evident in every word.

"We're going to get you help, Cynder." Spyro replied in a gentle voice, trying to remain strong in front of Cynder. For a moment, he began to doubt Ignitus' words, what if they couldn't help her? What if he had to watch her die before his eyes?

He immediately pushed that thought to the back of his mind. No, they would be able to help, he had to believe Ignitus. After all, it was his last chance at saving Cynder. He wouldn't be able to live knowing he could have done something for her but didn't have the courage to carry it out.

When he stepped outside, he was genuinely surprised to find Ignitus standing at their doorstep, the map in his hands. Hunter was also with Ignitus, visibly worried for Spyro and Cynder.

"Thought you might need someone to protect your house while you're gone, Spyro." Hunter said as he stepped forward and placed his paw on Spyro's shoulder. They had become close friends after Malefor's defeat as he was the one of the few who treated Spyro as a young dragon rather than a hero.

"I wish you well on your journey." Hunter said solemnly as he took his place in front of Spyro's house, bow drawn.

"Thanks, Hunter." Spyro replied, grateful to Hunter for guarding his home voluntarily.

"After you left, I was pretty sure you couldn't carry Cynder the entire trip to Lazarus so I followed you." Ignitus explained and he placed the map to Lazarus in Spyro's hand.

"But I already have the map, Ignitus and I'm pretty sure I can carry Cynder for the entire trip." Spyro said with a mildly arrogant snort.

"The thing is, the map is only temporary when it's in your mind and, while I do admire your enthusiasm, it's a three day trip from here to Lazarus. Even if you could make it, you'd need me to give you clearance into Lazarus. They don't take too kindly to strangers, especially two young dragons turning up in the middle of the night. I'm acquainted with some prominent figures there, namely the guardians of Wind and Shadow, so I'll be able to get you in." Ignitus reasoned. Spyro nodded in thanks as he shifted Cynder to a more comfortable position in his arms. With a final salute from Hunter, Spyro and Ignitus spread their wings and took off towards the East, towards Lazarus and Cynder's cure.

By night, they had covered a sizable distance and had decided to take a break in the forest. Spyro lay down and let Cynder rest her head onto his body and, soon enough, he fell into a deep sleep. Spyro realized that Cynder's nightmare ceased when the symptoms appeared. Thank god for small mercies. However, Cynder was still ill and Spyro could not afford to rejoice just yet. As he closed his eyes, he placed his paw on Cynder's head, gently caressing her. Cynder mustered up her energy and placed her paw on Spyro and they both lapsed into a deep sleep, feeling safer than they had ever felt at each other's touch.

Ignitus returned with some tinder to find Cynder and Spyro asleep. As he stoked the fire, he wondered if Baero and Solaris were still alive at Lazarus. They had lost contact after the raids and he couldn't find anything about Baero or Solaris after the raids in the Chronicler's scrolls. The last he saw of Baero was at Lazarus before the raids and he did not manage to see Solaris that day. Recounting that fateful day left his heart feeling like rocks had been piled up on it. He looked tenderly at Spyro and Cynder's sleeping figures as he lit the sticks with a small blast of fire. They had gotten further than Ignitus had expected but this was definitely taking its toll on Spyro. He seemed on the verge of collapse as they neared their present campsite and had apparently fell asleep almost instantaneously considering the fact that Ignitus had only just left to gather tinder a few minutes ago. He lay there reminiscing, willing the stars to tell him about his friends' fates as the flames crackled beside him.

"How much further, Ignitus?" Spyro asked, his wings and arms feeling sore. They had begun flying since dawn and the sun was now setting on the horizon.

Ignitus winced at the touch of familiar, ancient magic.

"We're close…"

"Really? Great! I'm feeling really tired now and…" Before he could finish his sentence, Spyro suddenly blacked out and plummeted towards the ground. Ignitus fought hard against the enchantments as he dived after Spyro and Cynder, catching both of them in midair. He pushed himself through the invisible wall and when he got through, the city of Lazarus lay before him. It seemed to be made up of opaque crystal shaped into buildings with a large spire erupting from the centre of the city.

Ignitus landed before the gates and waved to the two dragons seated atop a pair of guard towers.

"Who goes there?" The dragon on the right boomed menacingly. He was clothed in armor looking every bit like a soldier and yet, he seemed slightly unwilling to do this job.

"Identify yourself!" The other dragon called out in a younger, less intimidating voice, apparently a greenhorn at being a guard to the city gates.

"I'm Ignitus, Guardian of Fire! I'm here to request assistance from King Eratos!" Ignitus called back, shifting the weight of Spyro and Cynder to make himself more comfortable. He hadn't flown this far for a _long _time and his wings ached sharply with every move he made.

The older guard nodded to his partner and he said in a gruff voice.

"Alright, you may enter the city. OPEN THE GATES!" The gates creaked open slowly at his command and the cobblestone streets of Lazarus lay before Ignitus.

"Thank you!" Ignitus shouted back as he carried Spyro and Cynder into the city. His thanks were greeted with a warm smile from the younger of the guards and a loud snort from the older dragon. The young dragon called out after Ignitus as the gates closed.

"Welcome to back the city of Lazarus, Guardian Ignitus!"


	4. Chapter 4: Lazarus

Walking through the cobblestone streets of Lazarus, the crystal houses shining with the light of candles, Ignitus couldn't help but think of his old life in Lazarus. Bringing up those memories tugged at his heartstrings so he just focused on getting to the spire in the middle of the town, taking in the sights and smells of the city as he went.

The city was made up almost entirely out of a crystal found only in Lazarus; it became synonymous with the city and is affectionately referred to as "Lazarite" by the townspeople and outsiders. The houses had a distinctly mechanical feel about them, the way they protruded from the ground at regular intervals, leaving alleyways and streets zigzagging through the entire city. They also came with a crystal "door" that sank into the ground to allow residents to enter and exit as well as paper-thin sheets of crystal that served as windows. In spite of their crystalline nature, the inside of the houses were rather homely, with wooden furniture and fireplaces, no one ever felt strangely about living in a giant crystal. Like any other town, it had markets, clinics, everything a town should have to thrive.

Also, like any other town or city, it had a government as well. The crystal spire actually served as a town hall and palace. The Guardians lived there as well as the king of Lazarus, Eratos. They watched over the town and its inhabitants from the tower and tended to the requests of the townsfolk. No one ever knew how the town came about. There were never any records of how the town was built; it seemed to have appeared suddenly out of the ground. One thing was for sure, though, it was an extremely old city, having been in early writings dating back millennia.

It also served as a sort of antenna, focusing the natural energies of the earth and broadcasting it across the land. Most dragons were unable to feel it except for a select few. All of the Guardians could feel it which was how Ignitus knew they were nearby. The sudden rise in energy also causes most beings to faint as they neared the city, especially if they were physically or mentally exhausted. They would find themselves awake in their homes, not knowing what happened to them or why it had happened. This sudden upsurge was the reason why Spyro blacked out. He was exhausted from the long flight and had been mentally drained for weeks due to Cynder's condition. Ignitus, being a Guardian, was able to withstand it and proceed through to the city. However, it had still taken its toll on him as he felt more exhausted than ever as he trudged through the streets with Spyro and Cynder in his arms.

As he walked through the streets, the evening crowds pointed and stared at him in amazement. They had only heard of Guardians through word of mouth and most did not even know whether there were still any Guardians left in the land, even though they were cared for by 3 of them. They had also never seen Spyro, the hero of the realm, and Cynder, the past dark master, in the flesh. Ignitus, aware that he was drawing attention, planned on flying to the spire but he was far too exhausted and could not be bothered to even lift his wings. He dragged his way through the streets, the citizens giving way either out of awe, or fear.

Eventually, he reached the steps of the spire. Sighing from the idea of having to climb, he started his slow ascent up the stairs. Being the Chronicler meant that he had to spend long hours in a comfortable position as he wrote and manifesting himself into the physical world always did take up a lot of his energy but, focused on the task at hand, he persevered and slowly climbed up the steps one at a time. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally reached the crystal gates of the spire. He called out in an ancient language and the door swung open slowly. Relieved that he could finally give his weary body a rest, he walked into the spire slowly and deliberately.

The walls of the corridor had large tapestries depicting prominent scenes throughout the ages hanging from them with many doorways leading deeper into the spire. At the end of the long corridor, a large entrance to the throne room loomed, many times taller than Ignitus. He stepped through the carved doorway and was greeted by a dragon seated atop a throne. However, he did not look anything like the king he had remembered from years ago. The new king was a middle-aged dragon with black scales and purple wings; metal tips adorned his wings and tail. He had a look of distaste on his face when Ignitus stepped into the throne room carrying Spyro and Cynder.

"What's a deserter like you doing in _my _city?" Eratos spat, his eyes glinting with malevolence.

"I did not desert; I was merely carrying out my duty, My Lord." Ignitus replied, not fully trusting the new king.

Eratos looked distastefully at Spyro and Cynder's motionless bodies.

"You dare bring such filth into my throne room?" Eratos shouted angrily at Ignitus.

"But…"

"I don't want to hear your reasons. Leave this building, now!" Eratos decreed, his eyes full of paranoia and insanity.

"…Yes, My Lord." Ignitus replied quietly, not understanding the reasons behind the king's actions. He plodded out of the throne room, feeling disappointed. That was not the benevolent king of Lazarus. Instead, a paranoid fool had taken his place. However, Ignitus could not fathom the reason behind the new king's paranoia nor who he was. Lazarus had certainly changed from 15 years ago. As he walked down the corridor, he thought of how to break the news of not being able to help Cynder to Spyro. As he walked past the doorways feeling forlorn, a paw reached out from the darkness of one of the entrances and grabbed Ignitus, pulling him into the unknown.


	5. Chapter 5: Of Wind, Shadow and Twilight

A familiar paw pulled Ignitus through the hallway into the recesses of the castle. They climbed up flights of steps, heading up the spire. Although Ignitus' legs complained every time they took a step, he hung on and they finally reached the upper floors of the spire. Amazingly, Ignitus had managed to hold on to Spyro and Cynder as they climbed up the steps. Outside the windows, Ignitus caught glimpses of the city's scintillating nighttime lights. The torches on the walls of the hallway illuminated the dragon's face. It was a mature face, one Ignitus had not seen for a long time. It bore an extreme resemblance to Spyro's face, the shape of the muzzle and that playful glint in those eyes gave away his identity.

"Baero! You're alive!" Ignitus cried out, relief plain on his face.

"In the flesh, Ignitus!" Baero replied, still leading them down the hallway.

"Where are we going?" Ignitus enquired to his old friend.

"To save my son, of course! Solaris is also alive, in case you were wondering." Baero replied, slowing down slightly.

"I'll carry my son, Ignitus. You must be tired!" He took Spyro from Ignitus and after adjusting Spyro to a comfortable position, continued down the hallway.

"Thank you, Baero. So, is Chrisil…"

"She's… passed away. So has Hrunting…" Baero interjected, his voice suddenly quieting down to barely a whisper.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Baero. She was a good dragoness. I believe she was your wife, right?"

"…Yes… she was." Baero muttered in a low voice, full of guilt.

Ignitus saw this and decided not to press the matter any further as they hurried down the halls. They eventually came to a stop in front of a large door bearing ancient carvings. Baero brightened up and flapped his wings leisurely, causing a small tornado to manifest and struck the door, causing it to glow brightly. When the light subsided, the crystal had vanished leaving a massive doorway into a splendidly decorated room.

"Welcome to the Guardian's wing, Ignitus. It's been a long time since you stepped in here, hasn't it?" Baero chirped as the two dragons walked into the large foyer. There was a large waterfall in the middle of the foyer pouring down into a large, glimmering basin, the sound of the waterfall strangely distant and calming. The room was pleasantly cool and the starlight shining from above illuminated the foyer ever so slightly with its faint radiance. The foyer was circular in shape with crystals hanging from the clear ceiling that served as chandeliers when the Guardians willed it. There was no need for that fro now as Baero led Ignitus to one of the rooms.

With his mastery over wind, Baero was an obvious choice for the job of Wind Guardian. He and Ignitus were good friends since they were just hatchlings. When they grew up, both of them became Guardians of their respective elements which, being the young dragons they were at that time, they were absolutely ecstatic. Baero's wings were slightly larger than most other dragons which helped him control the winds more easily. He looked every bit a Wind dragon with his ash-grey scales and sharp eyes. Beneath all that seriousness, though, lay a heart of gold. He would willingly lay down his life to protect those he held close to him, which could be seen in Spyro, being Baero's son. On the day of the raids, Malefor's armies attacked the city of Lazarus first. Baero, knowing that his child would be the purple dragon of prophecy, entrusted his best friend with the egg, telling him to run as far away with that egg as possible. Ignitus was reluctant at first but he eventually relented and headed to Warfang. That was the last Ignitus saw of Baero, until today. It wasn't the most ideal reunion but, Ignitus was glad to see his friend alright.

They stepped into a room where a shadow dragoness sat on the bed, reading a scroll. She heard a sound and looked up and almost couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Baero walking in with Ignitus, both carrying a young, comatose dragon in their arms.

"Hello, Solaris, long time no see!" Ignitus said cheerfully as he stepped into her room. She stood up and strolled over to Ignitus to give him a hug but when she saw Cynder in her current condition, tears pricked at her eyes. She was shocked to see Cynder in this state.

"You can see for yourself, Solaris." Baero said, stepping into the room shortly after Ignitus.

"What happened?" Solaris asked Ignitus, her voice shaking for fear of her daughter's life. Solaris was the mother of Cynder and they looked remarkably alike except for the fact that Solaris had a more mature face than Cynder. Her scales were just a shade darker than Cynder's, the only prominent difference being that her tail did not have the metal tip of Cynder's. She was also a childhood friend of all the Guardians. Resourceful and independent, she was as skilled in combat as Ignitus or Terrador which secured her spot as the Guardian of Shadow. It was from her that Cynder inherited her feistiness and independence. Now, looking at her daughter in such agony, she couldn't help but let out a small sob as she placed took Cynder's paw, gently stroking it as Ignitus set Cynder down on the bed.

"It's Malefor that's doing this to her heart. He's trying to use Cynder as a vessel for his return. Cynder's putting up a strong fight but she can't hold out forever, not now that she's expecting." Ignitus explained, looking at Cynder solemnly.

Just then, a white dragon with grey eyes and an eye patch over his left eye that looked to be the same age as Spyro and Cynder stepped in, rubbing his eyes with his paws, looking as if he'd just woke up.

"What's with the ruckus? I'm trying to…" He stopped mid-sentence, surveying the situation in the room. With a solemn gaze, he nodded.

"Is something wrong with her heart?" He said as he pushed his way through Ignitus and Baero. Stopping next to Cynder, his eye glazed over as he stood there looking at Cynder.

"Who is he and what is he doing?" Ignitus asked, startled by the sudden appearance of the young dragon.

The dragon snapped out of his trancelike state and turned to Ignitus, treating him to a warm smile.

"My name's Bolzan, and who might you be?" The newcomer said as he looked straight into Ignitus' eyes. In his eyes, Ignitus saw a deep wisdom beyond this young dragon's age. Apparently, he was older than he seemed.

"I'm Ignitus. You just said something about Cynder's heart…" Ignitus replied, curious about what he was doing.

"Yes, I did." Bolzan replied nonchalantly.

"But, how can you see into her heart?" Ignitus questioned, unable to keep the curiosity out of his voice.

"I'll explain it to Ignitus, go do your job, Bolzan." Baero interjected. Bolzan nodded and went back to Cynder's bedside.

"He, in spite of his age, has mastered both Light and Shadow, hence his title "Twilight Guardian". Apparently, both elements work differently when combined so, he cannot be called a Guardian of Light or Shadow." Baero explained.

"Also, he really is 15 years old, the same age as Spyro and Cynder. He didn't come from the same batch of eggs as Spyro and no record of him could be found other than his birthday. When we checked with the Chronicler, he said that Bolzan really was 15 years of age."

"You haven't answered how he could look into hearts, Baero." Ignitus reminded Baero.

"Ah, that's… tricky to explain at best. Something happened in his early childhood that gifted him with mastery over Light and Shadow as well as the ability to look into other hearts. However, he won't divulge further than that."

"Hmm… how interesting…" Was all Ignitus had to say.

Just then, Bolzan looked away from Cynder and turned to Ignitus.

"There's some _really _bad corruption on the surface of her heart but, amazingly, it didn't reach her inner heart but, she is pretty exhausted and I don't think she can resist it any longer. Also, I saw 4 other hearts in there and they don't seem corrupted, either. Is she pregnant?"

"Yes, she is expecting soon."

"Really? Great! I suppose Spyro over there is the father, right?" He jerked his head towards Spyro.

"How… how did you know that?" Ignitus stuttered, considering that Bolzan had never seen Spyro or Cynder before.

"Oh, that. I kept seeing images of her and Spyro together so; I just pieced the pieces together. Not that hard to find out, admittedly. It also helped that the both of you kept repeating his name." Bolzan reasoned, sniggering a little when Ignitus blushed at his own blunder.

"Besides, it's good that Spyro's here. Lazarus wants to meet him as well and that is the key to helping Cynder. The darkness is far too strong to be dispelled via normal methods so and Spyro is the purple dragon of prophecy, after all. He should be able to master Lazarus' element and that should do the trick."

"Wait, you mean Lazarus the dragon?" Ignitus asked, remembering a large statue of a dragon encased in crystal deep within the foundation of the spire that he had seen a few times in his youth.

"Are you sure about this, Bolzan?" Baero questioned, fearful for the possible consequences of his actions. Solaris looked up, shocked at what Bolzan was hinting at.

"If Spyro dies, I'll hold you responsible for it, you know that." Baero warned, his voice taking a nasty edge.

"I'm willing to bear that burden. I just can't stand by and let Spyro and Cynder be separated. Besides, I'm sure we'll all sleep better knowing that at least we tried, right?"

Baero could not say anything to that kind of reasoning. He merely nodded and left the room. Solaris also stood up and strolled over to Bolzan, giving him a light pat on the shoulder as well as her consent in the form of a tearful nod. She dimmed the lights and went to bed next to Cynder, letting her daughter feel her warmth as she fell asleep. Both Bolzan and Ignitus were alone in the room, their eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.

"I hope you know what you're implying, Bolzan. Spyro could die because of what you're about to do."

"I hope I do, Ignitus. Lazarus told me to do this and, trust me, I'm not insane. Good night." Bolzan left the room silently, leaving Ignitus alone in the room.

Outside, a raven crowed ominously, filling the room with its plaintive cry…


	6. Chapter 6: Sacrifices

"_Spyro? Are you awake?"_

"C-Cynder?"

Spyro slowly opened his eyes, his head pounding as he sat up in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room. His eyes felt as if they'd been glued shut and it took a lot of effort to open them. He looked around the room and, through his blurred vision, saw Cynder sitting next to him, looking concerned.

"Cynder! You're cured!"

"Huh? Oh, Cynder. Well, I'm not Cynder; I'm Solaris, Cynder's mother. Cynder's on the other bed." A warm, comforting voice replied.

As Spyro's vision cleared, he saw that the dragoness sitting next to him looked a lot like Cynder except for her wings, which did not have metal tips and her scales seemed slightly darker than Cynder's. He tried to sit up but was gently held down by the dragoness.

"You're still recuperating, just rest for a while."

"But Cynder…"

"Will be fine. She's also resting just over there." Solaris pointed to the next bed.

Cynder lay there and, while she did look better, still looked extremely pale. She didn't seem in pain but the sight of Cynder lying there brought tears to his eyes. At that moment, Ignitus entered the room with a grey dragon that looked a lot like Spyro. Ignitus and the dragon brightened when they saw Spyro sitting up on the bed. The grey dragon strode over and gave Spyro a big hug.

"I'm glad you're all right, son."

Spyro was taken aback when he heard the word "son" came out of the dragon's mouth.

"Wait, I haven't met you before, have I? You look awfully familiar. And what's with calling me "son"?" Spyro said as the dragon released his embrace.

"Oh, my apologies, Spyro, we haven't been formally introduced now, have we?" The grey dragon replied.

"This is Baero, the Wind Guardian. He's your father, Spyro, and it was him who entrusted your egg to me during the raids on the Dragon cities." Ignitus explained as Baero turned to check on Cynder.

"But you didn't tell me anything about my father, Ignitus." Spyro said, extremely confused.

"That's because I thought he was dead. We lost contact after the raids and I naturally assumed that he was dead. I, myself, did not know he was alive until last night when I carried you and Cynder to Lazarus. You passed out when we were approaching the city due to the sudden upsurge of Earth energy when we neared Lazarus."

"Okay. So, can Cynder be cured here?" Spyro asked, his mind starting to comprehend what Ignitus was telling him.

"Yes. Unfortunately, the king of Lazarus, Eratos, forbade us to do so."

Earlier, Eratos called all the Guardians to his throne room. There, he forbade all of them from assisting Spyro. The consequences included being banished from Lazarus and being forced into exile. Naturally, the Guardians were enraged and protested to Eratos.

"What he said after that stunned all of us…" Ignitus said, scowling. Baero looked down solemnly and Solaris held her head in her paws.

Eratos then told all four Guardians that his Master, Malefor, would be resurrected soon and that he would stop at nothing to see his rebirth. He also told them that Spyro would also play a part in Malefor's resurrection and that he wanted Spyro as emotionally scarred as possible to let the darkness flow out of him and that even the Guardians would not be able to stop him and Malefor from bringing about a new world.

"He told us that he knew we were keeping you upstairs, apparently Malefor told him this piece of news."

"We should have known this since that day 15 years ago, during the raids." Baero said solemnly, paws clenched.

During the chaos of the raids, Baero's wife and Spyro's mother was killed in cold blood and when Baero returned to Chrisil's room, it was already too late. Chrisil lay before him in a pool of blood. The entire room was more or less destroyed during the fight and Spyro's egg was still in her embrace, completely intact. Looking around the room, Baero found a claw fragment amongst the carnage and kept it, hoping it would lead him to the culprit. Shortly after, he heard news that Hrunting and the King were also dead.

"We originally thought that it was Malefor's doing but, after what Eratos told us, we were positive that it was him that killed Chrisil, Hrunting and the original king. The Eratos now is actually Eratos the 2nd. He had wanted the throne for years and he took advantage of the raid to assassinate his own father as well as 2 of the Guardians; your mother and Cynder's father." Baero explained to Spyro in a low, solemn voice.

"I kept the claw fragment I found in your mother's room and I examined it closely after what Eratos told us. There was no doubt that it was his claw." A stray tear slid down Baero's face and Spyro knew that Baero was in pain from recalling that memory.

Spyro's head was spinning from the amount of information being relayed to his young mind but the main piece of that stuck in his mind was that Cynder could not be cured without Ignitus, Baero or Solaris from being banished. He no longer doubted that Baero was his father, the resemblance was uncanny and, frankly, he was glad for a shoulder to cry on. He burst into tears and hugged Baero tightly, sobbing loudly.

"D-Dad…Cynder…W-What should I…"

"Shh, it's alright, let it all out."

The sight of this made Ignitus and Solaris teary. This was a lot of responsibility to put on the shoulders of such a young dragon. Solaris sobbed quietly, her head resting on Cynder's while Ignitus stood there quietly.

They were so caught up in their emotions that they failed to take notice of Bolzan who was slowly making his way to Baero and Spyro. He tapped Baero lightly on his shoulder and when he turned around, Bolzan delivered a blow across Baero's face that sent him reeling in shock and pain.

"What the hell are you doing, Bolzan?" Baero roared as he glared angrily at Bolzan, intending to return the blow. He was about to strike when he saw tears in Bolzan's eyes as well. He slowly lowered his paw, waiting to see what Bolzan would do.

"Spyro, pull yourself together!"

"B-but…what should I do…" Spyro blubbered, barely coherent.

Bolzan gave Spyro a stinging slap across his muzzle before shaking some sense into Spyro.

"Listen to me! I know this is a tough choice to make and I'm not going to lie, no one should be subject to this stress but trust me, I know how it feels to be helpless and crying isn't going to accomplish anything."

Spyro nodded slightly, surprised at the maturity of the words coming from a dragon of the same age as he was.

"We've been discussing after Eratos' ranting and I've chosen to help you, no matter the cost. First, tell me, are you willing to risk your life for Cynder's?"

"Of course…" Spyro muttered.

"Good. Now, get some rest. You're going to have to be healthy to carry out this job."

Baero, Ignitus and Solaris had left the room, leaving Spyro, Bolzan and Cynder in the room.

Bolzan was about to leave when Spyro stopped him.

"I'm guessing you're the 4th Guardian they were talking about, right? After all, Cyril is back at Warfang while Terrador and Volteer are out on some errands."

Bolzan laughed bitterly.

"Yes, you're right, Spyro, I'm the Twilight Guardian, Bolzan. You really are Baero's son, after all. His instincts were top-notch."

Spyro smiled slightly, his head turning to face Cynder.

"I guess it runs in the family. Are you sure you want to help me? I don't want to be the reason behind your exile. Also, are you really as old as you seem?"

"Yes and yes. I'm the same age as you and Cynder. I also won't let another family be broken up while I'm around. I've already let my own family down years ago; I won't let it happen again…"

"What happened?"

"I'll tell you some other time. All I can say is, it wasn't pretty."

"All right, I respect that. You know, I think we'll be great friends."

"I feel that way as well. This will cure Cynder, without doubt, but there's the slight chance that you won't make it beyond the first stage. After all, it requires a lot of risky procedures. The chances of success are slim to none. Are you sure you want to do this, Spyro?"

"As long as there's a chance, I'll take it, no matter how slim it is. I love Cynder with all my heart; I just want her to get better…"

Just then, Cynder stirred. She turned her head towards Spyro and opened her eyes slightly. Spyro noticed this and jumped out of bed, crouching beside her, taking her paw in his.

"Spyro, you don't have to do this. Just let me go…" Cynder whispered.

"No, I won't let you leave like this. I'll help you and so will my friend, Bolzan."

Bolzan nodded solemnly.

"Nice to meet you, Cynder." Bolzan said, stepping over to Cynder's bedside.

"Bolzan, thank you for helping Spyro. I overheard what were the consequences of your actions. I'm not forcing you…" Cynder said quietly.

"I'm doing this of my own accord. Not because of the fact that Spyro is the "Savior of the Realm" or anything like that. I'm helping because it's the right thing to do."

Cynder nodded as Bolzan turned and left the room.

"So, what do you think of him, Cynder?" Spyro asked, caressing Cynder's paw.

"He's all right by me. He's really putting a lot on the line…"

"Yeah, I know. But he said that he let down his family years ago and that he wouldn't let it happen to anyone else's family."

"He's the same age as us, right?"

"That's right. He's also a Guardian."

Cynder giggled softly.

"Wow, that's really something I wasn't expecting."

"Yeah, I was shocked when he told me that as well."

"I heard you met your dad, how is he?"

"He's nice. I also met your mother; she really looks a lot like you. I think she spent the entire night by your bedside since she looked really tired."

"I felt her presence next to me. You just know you're related somehow, am I right?"

Spyro laughed, happy that Cynder was evidently feeling better.

"Yeah. I hope he can really help you. I don't want to see you in pain again."

Cynder smiled, a tear escaping her eye. Spyro kissed her gently on her forehead as Cynder closed her eyes, resuming her battle with Malefor's dark spirit. Spyro also went back to bed and, even though it was only midday, he felt particularly sleepy. He yawned and closed his eyes, lapsing effortlessly into a restful sleep.

When he opened his eyes, he was in a strange crystal chamber with no visible entrances or exits. In front of him, a dragon with deep maroon scales sat regally on a throne in front of Spyro. Spyro felt a sudden urge to bow out of respect for the dragon.

"Hello, Spyro, I've been waiting for you."

"Uh, who are you, sir?" Spyro asked respectfully, performing a little bow out of respect.

"My name is Lazarus." The dragon replied in a deep bass voice.

"I've been waiting for you, Spyro."


	7. Chapter 7: Secrets of the Past

"I'm sure you've never heard of me, Spyro." Lazarus said in a deep voice that commanded respect from all that heard it.

"Well… no one told me about you and I was more or less unconscious until today." Spyro replied coyly.

"Ah, I see. Well, I'm the first purple dragon…"

"Wait, I thought Malefor was the first purple dragon?" Spyro interjected. He immediately regretted this action when Lazarus fixed him with a piercing gaze. Spyro felt he was about to pass out from fear when Lazarus relaxed his gaze on him. Spyro braced himself for a scolding but was instead greeted with a warm laughter.

"In the Chronicler's texts, yes, he is the first purple dragon." Lazarus laughed softly as he fixed Spyro with a warm, comforting gaze.

"So, there were purple dragons before him?" Spyro asked curiously.

Lazarus nodded.

"Yes, there were 10 before him. Originally, purple dragons were granted anonymity from the Chronicler's texts but, alas, Malefor decided he wanted to be heard and asked the Chronicler to record his life as well as those of future purple dragons." Lazarus explained while Spyro listened intently.

"He wanted to be remembered for bringing about a new world through the "Great Cleansing". Adolescent foolishness, if you ask me."

"Before I continue, I'm sure you're wondering where we are, aren't you?" Spyro nodded eagerly.

"I know all about your predicament with Cynder and the Guardians. Bolzan is rather daring for risking his life on the both of you."

"You know Bolzan?" Spyro asked, perking up at the sound of that name.

"He is one of the few dragons capable of conversing with me and, thus, I have come to rely on him as my "Messenger" and it was I who told him about what to do earlier. As for where we are, we are conversing in my heart."

"Really? It doesn't look like what I imagined the inside of a heart to be like. I thought it would be slightly more… gory."

"Well, that's what the inside of a _real _heart would look like but the place we are conversing is within the soul, the _true_ heart. It is also here that Cynder is fighting off Malefor."

"Cynder…" Spyro muttered, worried for her.

"If you like, I can let you look inside Cynder's heart for a moment." Lazarus raised a large crystal mirror with the flick of his paw. The mirror was all fogged up and cloudy when it rose from the ground. However, as Spyro approached the crystal, the image cleared gradually until it revealed what seemed to be a once-beautiful foyer with crystal chandeliers and large, magnificent windows. The walls were now covered in malicious, black vines. Cynder was chained to the ground of the foyer, covered in lacerations as a sinister shadow looked over her. Nearby, 4 glyphs, each holding a wispy cloud of light, were covered in dark crystals.

Suddenly, Cynder turned her head towards the mirror Spyro was looking through and mouthed the words "Help me". The shadow noticed this and swung a large claw, knocking Cynder to the ground. Spyro clenched his paws in rage; he couldn't stand seeing Cynder being tortured like this by Malefor. This act only strengthened Spyro's will to help Cynder, no matter the cost.

"As you can see, it is imperative that we help her soon." Lazarus said and with another flick of his paw, caused the mirror to sink back into the ground, leaving no trace of its presence.

"How can I help her?" Spyro asked, his voice shaking with anger.

"First, let me explain the duties of a purple dragon…" Lazarus began.

"I DON'T WANT TO KNOW MY DUTIES; I JUST WANT TO HELP CYNDER!" Spyro roared in fury, the darkness hidden deep within his heart threatening to resurface.

Lazarus sighed and, with a casual flick of his tail, pinned Spyro to the ground with numerous crystal shackles.

"Calm down, Spyro. I will help you but first, could you please listen to me for a moment? This part is as important as curing Cynder. Also, I suggest you keep your emotions in check, I have no doubt that is what Malefor and Eratos want; to tap into the darkness within you." Lazarus said calmly. He then undid the crystal shackles with a small flick of his tail. Spyro stood up, breathing deeply to calm himself down as he turned towards Lazarus.

"That's better. Now, purple dragons have the ability to master more than one element, as you should know. There is a reason behind this. Purple dragons have always brought about a "Great Cleansing"." Spyro looked shocked when he heard this so Lazarus explained.

"However, Malefor is the first purple dragon who thought of this in a warped sense. All the purple dragons of the past have brought about their cleansing by ridding the world of evil or aiding those in need. In my case, I built this city at the cost of my life to defend the inhabitants from an oncoming surge of darkness."

"But if you're dead, how come we're talking like this?" Spyro asked, extremely confused.

"My heart was preserved within my physical body and, as long as nothing happens to my body, will remain so, encased in crystal." Lazarus explained patiently.

"Also, how did I get into your heart?" Spyro asked, realizing on a subconscious level that there were no obvious ways in and out of the cavern.

"As for that, a willing conduit must act as a bridge between two bodies. I taught Bolzan how to do this fairly early on and he is now acting as the pathway between our hearts. Before you get mad at him, it's best to do this while both hosts are asleep as this eases the strain on both hearts. This takes a lot out of the conduit and comes with a risk for all of us but mostly, the conduit takes the full brunt of the transfer." Lazarus explained.

Spyro nodded, acknowledging the risks Bolzan was taking for him. He really was risking it all to help them.

"Now that I've said everything I have to say, it's time I told you how to help Cynder."

Lazarus got off his throne and slowly walked over to Spyro.

"I have been waiting for the 12th purple dragon of prophecy to come here. Now that you're here, I will pass on one of my elements to you. Malefor once asked me for this element but I denied him this privilege. The element of Flare takes on the form of the user's heart and, knowing Malefor, it would become an all-consuming force of destruction. After I denied him, he swore that he would bring about the "Great Cleansing" by himself."

Lazarus placed a paw on Spyro's forehead and a warm light shone, spreading throughout Spyro's body. It was all over in a few moments and, when Lazarus removed his paw, Spyro felt a strength radiating throughout his body along with a comforting warmth deep in his heart.

"I believe that you will bring about the true "Cleansing", Spyro, I have faith in you…"

Lazarus' voice slowly faded out as Spyro suddenly felt a tug deep within his heart as he was pulled through a dark tunnel.

Spyro suddenly found himself awake before a crystal containing a large dragon, presumably Lazarus'. Spyro heard a loud panting next to him and when he turned, he found Bolzan panting on the ground, his eye patch gone. For the first time, Spyro saw Bolzan's left eye. There was a complicated insignia within the eye that Spyro could make no sense of. Bolzan turned his head to look at Spyro, a grin forming on his face.

"Did Lazarus give you the element?" Bolzan panted, trying to stand but collapsing under his own weight.

"Yes. Are you alright?" Spyro asked anxiously as he looked at Bolzan's exhausted body.

"I'm fine. We have to help Cynder now, don't we?" Bolzan said quietly as he tried to stand up. Spyro went over to support Bolzan as they limped up the stairs.

"By the way, what's with that eye?" Spyro asked as they slowly made their way up the stairs.

"Malefor did this to me…" Bolzan muttered softly, his eyes moistening with tears.

"If it isn't too sensitive, would you care telling me about it?" Spyro asked warmly.

With tears pricking at his eyes, Bolzan began his story as they walked up the stairs.


	8. Chapter 8: Into The Oblivion

Hey, guys, I'm back! I'm really glad my exams are over so I got writing! Hope you guys'll continue supporting my stories!

* * *

><p>"15 years ago, around the time when the raids were happening, I was also just born on that day, like you and Cynder." Bolzan began.<p>

"I wasn't a dragon at that time, I was a human but I had dragon blood within me. I'm not really sure how, but on that day, Malefor stormed the city and razed it down to the ground with his dark army. Maybe it's because I had dragon blood or something but I remember seeing my parents burn before my eyes, my father was fighting off the dragon's onslaught of minions but he, too succumbed to their numbers." In Spyro's mind, he could imagine the pain and suffering there, the buildings blazing, lighting the sky crimson.

"I was taken from the city by Malefor who took me to his lair." Bolzan cringed at the thought.

"There, he replaced my eye with this orb that more or less functioned identically but it had the ability to look into hearts. The process was… painful to say the least." Bolzan subconsciously placed his paw over his left "eye".

"So, if you weren't a dragon, what made you become one?" Spyro asked as they continued to ascend the stairs.

"I'm getting there. Malefor then began "infusing" me with Shadow and Light. Since these elements can only be controlled by dragons, the dragon blood within me awakened and, slowly and painfully, I became a dragon. The sudden surge of energy caused me to become physically 15 years old when, mentally, I was around 6 years old."

"That's around the same time I found out I was a dragon, too!" Spyro exclaimed, amazed by the coincidence.

"Yes, quite a stroke of luck there. Anyway, since I'm not a purple dragon, I couldn't use both elements to their full potential. Instead, the lines between Shadow and Light are blurred within me."

"Blurred how?" Spyro asked, genuinely curious.

Bolzan smiled.

"I've never told anyone about my past before because I was, admittedly, scared that people would ask a lot of questions. I see I wasn't too far off."

"Sorry…" Spyro replied, blushing.

"No, it's alright. I don't mind the questions."

"Wait, if you were 6 years old that year, did you see Cynder?" Considering that Cynder was corrupted by darkness at that time, Bolzan should have seen Cynder at Malefor's lair.

Bolzan frowned, deep in thought.

"Nope. I do recall some of the apes saying something about her but I can't remember what they were talking about."

"Alright. So, what's with the boundaries being blurred or something?"

"Oh, right. Well, most of the time, dragons capable of utilizing light are excellent healers but almost incapable of fighting while shadow dragons are excellent fighter but can barely heal. My version of light, however, can be used to fight and my version of darkness can be used to heal. However, my light attacks aren't very powerful. They do make up in accuracy, though. My darkness is capable of healing extremely rapidly but it can't heal as well as light so, I tend to prefer to use shadow to heal in the middle of a fight. Also, I can't use shadow to heal others or else, they would likely expire. Neither element is as powerful as it can be but, I don't mind." Bolzan explained.

"Anyway, when I was 9, I couldn't take the torture anymore. One day, I just snapped."

Bolzan had a slightly regretful grin on his face.

"When I came to, I was outside his lair; I looked back and saw a trail of bodies, no doubt killed by my hand. I couldn't care less. I spat out the blood in my mouth and set off to an unknown destination."

"I then spent the next 3 years roaming, trying to learn the ropes of being a dragon. It wasn't fun but, eventually, I got the hang of being a dragon. My elements, however, weren't going to be reined that easily. I often ended up unleashing my elements randomly, destroying a large part of the land around me."

"Eventually, after roaming around for 3 years, I came across the city of Lazarus. Like you, I passed out before I even got close to the city. I woke up and I met Baero, Solaris and "King" Eratos. I also met Lazarus and, after some training, I could finally control my elements. I was made a Guardian fairly recently, around last year."

They reached the door to the Guardians' wing. Bolzan opened his jaws and a bright light shone, 5 thin beams of light struck the door's coloured gems and the door vanished in a burst of light.

"Well, shall we go help Cynder?"

Spyro released Bolzan and, as Bolzan went to his room to get some things, Spyro went to check on Cynder. When he entered Solaris' room, he saw Eratos standing over Cynder's body, his claws brimming with darkness. The calm look on his face as he raised his paw to strike Cynder made him seem much more sinister than he had ever been. Spyro ran into the room and rammed Eratos, causing him to stumble.

"Who are you and what are you doing to Cynder?" Spyro asked, panting.

"I'm the king of Lazarus, Eratos, and you will not stop the Dark Master's resurrection." Eratos answered calmly. He suddenly appeared behind Spyro in a burst of darkness, his claws still brimming with darkness. He grabbed Spyro's throat with his left paw, gagging him as he raised a claw menacingly to Spyro's heart.

"The Dark Master requires the heart of a purple dragon to resurrect, thank you for "volunteering", I'll make it quick." Eratos grinned maliciously as he pushed his claw closer to Spyro. Eratos' paw was like a vice and held Spyro tight, rendering him unable to retaliate. As Eratos' claw was about to pierce into Spyro, he suddenly roared in pain and dropped Spyro. Eratos spun around and saw Bolzan, his mouth shining with light. Another white lance fired from his mouth and struck Eratos on the chest, sending him reeling but, otherwise, barely damaging him. Eratos growled menacingly and swung his paw, sending a wave of darkness towards Bolzan. He deftly dodged it and promptly sank into the shadows, reappearing next to Spyro.

"Are you alright?" Bolzan asked Spyro who was coughing on the ground, gasping for air.

"I'm fine…" Spyro gasped.

"2 interlopers? I suppose I'll just have to kill both of you." With that, Eratos charged up an orb of darkness in his mouth and prepared to fire it at them. There was no escape.

"Get away from my son!" A squall of wind roared through the room, knocking Eratos off his feet. Baero stood there, his wings poised. As Eratos struggled to get up, a massive paw made of shadow grabbed him and pulled him through the ground. He materialized outside the room in a shadow cage. Solaris stood nearby, her paw jammed into the ground.

"Hurry up and save my daughter!" Solaris shouted, straining to hold back Eratos' strength.

The cage burst, throwing Solaris onto her back. Ignitus caught her and helped her back to her feet.

"I suppose I'll have to dispose of all of you as well…" He launched into an onslaught of shadow-infused claw swipes which were promptly deflected by Solaris' own darkness. Ignitus breathed scorching flames at Eratos which he managed to avoid through the shadows.

As the battle raged on outside, Baero turned towards Spyro.

"We'll buy you some time. Now go!" Baero turned around and joined the fray.

"You heard him, let's get started." Bolzan took 8 green crystals out of a bag that Spyro failed to notice in their haste. He placed them in a rough octagon around Cynder, whom they had lowered onto the ground.

"Each crystal gives you 5 minutes so you have 40 minutes to get in there, save Cynder and your kids and, if possible, defeat Malefor. Think you can handle that?" Bolzan asked.

"Yes, anything for Cynder." Spyro replied as he took his place next to Cynder.

"Good. It'll be quite uncomfortable during the transfer so, prepare yourself mentally." Bolzan said and, with that, he placed one paw on Spyro' chest and one paw on Cynder's.

"There'll be a timer in the form of 8 flames on your chest. Get out of there before the last flame goes out or else you'll be trapped in there." Spyro nodded and readied himself.

"Good luck, Spyro."

A black flame and a bright light flared on each of Bolzan's paws. The 8 crystals lit up and formed an intricate runic circle joining them up in a network of light and darkness. Suddenly, Spyro felt as if he was being turned inside-out, like something was being ripped out from him. He was suddenly falling through oblivion towards a bright light.

He opened his eyes and found himself on a vine covered floor. Cynder was chained to the ground nearby, in the middle of the room. Cynder saw Spyro and tried to reach out to him but was cut short by an indistinct dark shape that materialized between them. Although it had no features except for a dragon-like form and two crimson eyes, Spyro instantly knew who it was.

"Malefor…"

Malefor laughed maliciously and fixed his burning gaze onto Spyro.

"Welcome, Spyro, I've been expecting you…."


	9. Chapter 9: Triumph and Defeat

"Well, Spyro, do you like what I've done to her heart?" Malefor said, sweeping his paw across the ruined room.

"What do you want, Malefor?" Spyro asked, adopting a battle-ready stance, his body tensed in preparation for a fight. Malefor turned back towards Spyro, his eyes glowing unnaturally crimson.

"I want redemption, to return to the world, to bring it to a new age and I need a vessel for that, considering what you did to me 3 years ago." Malefor replied, his voice thick with menace.

"You see, I've figured out how to obtain the strongest breath of them all, far surpassing convexity, and I needed some help with that. Luckily, your children have "volunteered" for this." He turned towards the 4 dark crystals and Spyro followed his gaze.

"Unfortunately, Cynder is blocking full access to their elements with those glyphs she placed on them. That's where you come in." Malefor glanced at Spyro who was still appalled by what Malefor was doing to those young hearts.

"I need you to get Cynder to undo those glyphs for me, or else…" Malefor gestured towards Cynder and a large, black flame sprung up around her, trapping her within a vortex of darkness, the flames cutting painfully into Cynder's body.

"Don't listen to him!" Cynder gasped through the pain.

"Stop it, Malefor! I'll- I'll do as you say…"

Malefor grinned coldly and removed the flames, undoing the shackles holding Cynder down at the same time.

"Good. Now, if you try anything else, I'll destroy both of you, is that clear?" Spyro remained silent.

"I'll take your silence as consent." He picked Cynder up roughly and flung her towards Spyro. Spyro immediately rushed over to Cynder and nuzzled her gently.

"Are you alright?" Spyro asked silently.

"I've been worse…" Cynder replied, standing up unsteadily.

"I hope you know what you're doing…" Cynder whispered as they slowly walked towards the crystals, Malefor keeping a close eye on them.

"I hope so too." Spyro replied as they neared the crystals. Upon closer inspection, it was fairly clear that a multitude of glyphs had been placed over each flickering spirit. Also, each spirit looked distinctly like a small, young dragon sleeping peacefully within the crystals, unaware of the peril they were in. They looked so fragile and this strengthened Spyro's determination to protect them from Malefor.

Spyro suddenly felt a small, almost imperceptible burst of cold heat on his chest. He looked down and saw that the flames had reappeared, this time with only 7 remaining in the circle.

"What's that?" Cynder asked inquisitively.

"A timer. We're running out of time." Spyro replied as the flames gradually disappeared.

They looked back towards the crystals. Now that they were closer, Spyro saw that all of them had a faded look, the light shining weaker than they had been when he first saw them from Lazarus' heart.

"Malefor's been siphoning energy from them. The glyphs prevent him from siphoning off too much but they've already been weakened a lot. We have to help them, Spyro, they're our kids!" Cynder explained, fully aware of Malefor's cold gaze.

"And we will. Listen, Lazarus passed on an element to me. I'm not sure what it does but I think I have to use it on Malefor." Spyro said, glancing back at Malefor.

"And how are you going to do that? He's really powerful, if you haven't realized."

Without warning, Spyro spun around and instinctively spread his wings wide, steadying himself with his paws. He felt the light from around him gather at his wings, entering his body and filling it with warmth. Malefor saw this and immediately raised his paw, preparing to attack Spyro and Cynder.

However, he was too slow. Spyro let loose with an orb of light that split into a barrage of light spears that flew towards Malefor, leaving light trails behind them. Malefor saw this and took flight, causing the spears to sail beneath him harmlessly.

He laughed and prepared to smite the 2 defiant dragons when suddenly, a light spear struck him from behind. He roared in pain and turned to see the spears sailing towards him. He tried to evade but it was no use, the spears struck Malefor one after another in rapid succession, causing Malefor to plummet to the ground, roaring in rage. He struck the ground, throwing up a large cloud of dust and caused the entire room to shake.

Spyro stood back up, panting.

"I-Is he dead?" Spyro asked, his voice quavering out of shock at the power of Flare.

Cynder didn't reply, staring in awe at Spyro.

"I think so…" Cynder replied after a long time. Without warning, she hugged Spyro tightly, almost hysterical with joy. Spyro couldn't help but join in, hugging her back. But still, something felt wrong. If Malefor was truly gone, shouldn't the crystals and vines disappear, robbed of Malefor's dark influence?

Suddenly, Malefor darted out of the dust at a blinding pace, covering the massive distance across the room in the blink of an eye, his eyes literally burning with rage, each covered in a dark, crimson flame.

"Get away!" Spyro shouted, pushing Cynder away, barely managing to deflect Malefor's claw with his wings.

Malefor launched into a series of rapid claw slashes, all faster than the eye could comprehend. Spyro deflected the strikes before countering with his own fire. However, there was nothing there. Cynder ran up to Spyro, ready to fight.

"So he's not dead?"

"I don't understand… Lazarus said that this would help but, it didn't do anything." Spyro said, distraught. He looked down again, the flames reappearing. The 6th flame was growing weaker. They were running out of time.

In a burst of darkness, Malefor appeared behind them, his right arm taking the form of a large scythe as he brought it crashing down onto Spyro and Cynder. They dodged his attack nimbly and flew away from him.

"Whoa, he's fast…" Cynder said. Malefor suddenly blinked out of existence in a flash of darkness and reappeared in front of them, catching them off guard and striking them with his scythe-like right arm. They crashed onto the ground, both sustaining a massive gash across their chests. Malefor rematerialized in front of the crystals, spreading his wings wide.

"You shouldn't have done that, Spyro. This is _my_ domain; I am like a god here. Now, you shall have the privilege of being the first to witness the birth of a new element, the true forms of convexity, Bifrost and Hellfire!" He began absorbing energy from the 4 hearts. Spyro and Cynder tried to stand up but the pain caused them to collapse back onto the ground, gritting their teeth in pain as they looked on helplessly.

Malefor turned around, his claws brimming with the energy taking the form of a light blue flame and a black-streaked, dark red flame. He swung the paw with the blue flame at Spyro and Cynder, causing a massive glacier to erupt from beneath them, throwing them up into the air. He then opened his mouth, now filled with that unnatural, dark flame and fired, sending a massive beam of fire towards Spyro and Cynder's bodies. It surrounded them, creating a massive cage of flames to form around them before detonating.

Spyro and Cynder plummeted towards the ground; both covered in wounds, their breathing heavy and labored. They hit the ground hard, both facing each other. They looked at each other and Spyro slowly stretched out his paw, his eyes filled with tears.

"You with me?" He whispered quietly. Cynder took his paw and nodded gently, tears forming two streams down her muzzle.

"Always…"

Malefor strode over to them, casting an ominous shadow over the two dragons as he prepared to destroy them.

Spyro and Cynder closed their eyes, savoring what could be their last moments together…


	10. Chapter 10: Eye of the Storm

**10th chapter of this book, a minor milestone for me! Thank you for all your support, readers!**

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><p>Malefor raised his right paw, morphing it into a massive blade coated with black flames, his eyes cold and unfeeling.<p>

"A new age shall begin. Once I've destroyed the both of you, your bodies will be soulless puppets for me to control, a shadow dragoness and a purple dragon, nothing will be able to stop me!" With that, he brought his blade down onto Spyro and Cynder, their paws still interlocked.

However, as his blade neared them, the flames suddenly dissipated and his blade faded out of existence. Startled by this, he quickly withdrew his paw. It reformed before his eyes and he tried again but to no avail.

Spyro and Cynder lay there, expecting Malefor to kill them there and then but, after a while, nothing seemed to be happening. They opened their eyes and saw a slightly translucent crystal lattice had formed around them. They saw Malefor trying to hit them but nothing happened, his attacks all failed to damage them through the crystals.

"_Well, isn't this interesting?"_

A deep bass voice echoed throughout the room, reverberating across the walls. Malefor heard this as well and spun around, growling.

"Lazarus…" Malefor snarled, turning his attention away from Spyro and Cynder momentarily.

"_I will not let you harm them, Malefor."_

"Lazarus!" Spyro shouted joyfully, standing up but immediately falling back down again from the pain of his wounds.

"You're Lazarus?" Cynder inquired, propping herself up on her front paws, grimacing at the sharp pain of every movement.

"_Yes, Cynder, I believe we've never met before, have we?" _Cynder nodded.

"Show yourself, Lazarus." Malefor said to the empty room.

"_No, I shall not interfere physically in here. Malefor, you shall not succeed in destroying this world."_

"Ha! Surely you don't expect that failure of a dragon to stop me, do you?" Malefor laughed and turned towards Spyro, who was glaring at Malefor angrily.

"He's tried to stop me many times and he's failed once again!"

"_At least he's tried, I have faith that he will succeed eventually. He's done much more than you did at his age."_

"Regardless, he cannot stop me, neither can you!" Malefor shouted, grinning evilly.

Suddenly, Spyro and Cynder's paws glowed brightly where they were holding each other. Spyro felt a warmth travelling through his paw into Cynder. As the light shone, their wounds healed before their very eyes, leaving no scars.

"_Ah, finally, it's happening."_

"What's happening, Lazarus?" Spyro asked as the light diminished.

"_The true strength of Flare lies deep within the heart. It stems from the purity found deep within all hearts. The only way to bring forth this strength is through a connection stronger than love. you and Cynder are willing to fight by each others' side to the end, even till death, you remained by each others' side."_

Spyro and Cynder blushed despite the peril they were in.

"_After all, two is better than one. Now, put an end to this…"_

With that, the barrier dissipated and the room fell silent once again. Spyro and Cynder felt almost reborn, they had never felt better.

Malefor snorted.

"Delusional old fool. No matter, I shall still destroy both of you as well as your children, painfully." He formed his tail and arms into long scythes, his wings phasing out and replaced with sets of swords, all comprised of darkness. Malefor pointed his blades at them, their edges shimmering with Hellfire.

"Are you ready, Spyro?" Cynder asked as she readied herself.

"Ready as I'll ever be, Cynder." Spyro replied, dropping into a battle-ready stance.

"Alright then, let's go."


	11. Chapter 11: The Final Blow

**Final chapter to Book I, please feel free to leave comments!**

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><p>Malefor swung his blades in a large crescent-shaped slice, sending waves of Bifrost travelling across the ground towards Spyro and Cynder. They promptly took to the air to avoid the lethal blades of ice that struck the wall behind them, erupting into a massive razor-sharp glacier that destroyed the entire wall. Spyro and Cynder looked back, amazed at Malefor's strength but, they were still confident about defeating him, no matter how strong he was.<p>

Cynder dived towards the ground and sunk into the shadows, shooting through the ground at a blazing pace towards Malefor. She leapt out, claws slashing furiously, underneath Malefor who dodged it easily with a large leap. He dived back down, the blades circling around his body in a lethal drill, the blades on his arms outstretched. Cynder dived back into the shadows just in time to avoid the blades. She resurfaced a short distance away and shouted mockingly at Malefor.

"Is that all you've got?" She leapt out of the shadows and grabbed Spyro's paw who flung her higher into the air before he darted towards Malefor, his entire body covered in a flaming vortex as he shot through the air towards Malefor. Malefor swung his blade to counter but Spyro stopped just out of his range, the flames dispersing in a wide corona around Spyro, blinding Malefor temporarily. He staggered back, shielding his eyes from the light. Even though he was nothing more than a figment of darkness, he could still feel his eyes burning from the intense light.

He opened his eyes just in time to see Cynder spinning through the air towards him, her tail coated in poison. He raised his swords in a defensive stance but Spyro was right behind him and fired a barrage of icicles at Malefor. He dropped his guard for a moment and was hit full on by Cynder. He staggered further back, surprised by their sudden strength. Malefor spun the swords around himself, causing a twister of Hellfire to form around him. Spyro and Cynder leapt back, narrowly dodging the swirling flames as they swirled around Malefor.

"We can do this, Spyro!" Cynder said as they regrouped nearby.

"When couldn't we?" Spyro replied half-jokingly, taking to the air and spreading his wings wide open. Cynder instinctively copied his actions on the ground, spreading her wings wide as well. After she met Lazarus, she found a renewed sense of hope, like they could somehow defeat Malefor and she was sure Spyro felt the same way as well.

Spyro began absorbing light from the surroundings as Cynder did the same but with darkness. He felt the same warmth as when he first fired off Flare only this time; it felt stronger, fueling itself from his determination to defeat Malefor. Cynder, who had never experienced this before, felt exhilarated as the Darkness spread throughout her body, filling her with comforting warmth.

Malefor stopped the twister, causing massive glaciers of Bifrost to erupt around him as the flames dissipated. He looked around for Spyro and Cynder and saw them charging up. He tried to shield himself with his sword as well as massive walls of Bifrost but to no avail. Spyro and Cynder released their respective Flares at the same time, Spyro's spears merging with Cynder's orb of darkness, tearing through the Bifrost walls easily and striking Malefor at speed impossible to comprehend. Cynder's orb detonated first, as Spyro's light spears burst outwards. Cynder's orb grew to a massive size, crushing Malefor who was within it. The spears of light warped out of existence through portals of light and boomeranged back at an even higher velocity, impaling the orb of darkness. The orb was then covered in multiple runic circles before it imploded.

Malefor roars of pure rage reverberated throughout the room, shaking the room to its very core. The vines shriveled up and disappeared into wisps of darkness, restoring the room to its former beauty. The dark crystals also shattered, freeing the 4 hearts imprisoned within. They seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as they vanished, safe once more in their rightful places. Spyro touched down near Cynder and turned to her.

"We did it…" Cynder panted.

Spyro nodded and looked down at the flame timer. 4 flames still shone brightly, plenty of time left. Suddenly, a portal opened nearby them, looking ominously dark, yet inviting.

"That's our way out of here. Come on, let's go!" Spyro said and they started walking towards the portal, glad that life would be normal once again.

Behind them, fragments of Malefor's now shattered heart hovered around and formed themselves into a pair of blades, pointing straight at Spyro and Cynder. A runic circle formed behind them, bearing sigils of control. Malefor's ghostly projection appeared behind them, grinning evilly. This was his last resort. He wanted to impale Spyro and Cynder's hearts with the blades, fusing his heart with theirs permanently. The ghost shimmered out of existence and the blades launched themselves towards an unsuspecting Spyro and Cynder at a breakneck pace.

As Spyro and Cynder were about to enter the portal, they heard a voice shout from the portal.

"Get down!"

Something tackled them from the portal, knocking them onto their backs. They opened their eyes to see Bolzan standing there, 2 blades sticking out of his chest, blood dripping from the wounds they made.

"Bolzan!" Spyro and Cynder shouted in unison. He turned towards them, a pained smile forming on his face as he registered their shocked expressions.

"T-Told you I would risk everything… get out of here, I'll be fine…" Bolzan said softly, blood coming out from his muzzle as well as he stood there, the blades still stuck in his chest.

"But…" Spyro began.

"Just go! I'll be fine, I promise…" Bolzan grimaced as he sank to his knees, not making any move to extricate the blades.

Spyro and Cynder reluctantly entered the portal, looking back at Bolzan one last time before they left, their eyes wishing they could help him. The last they saw of him was Bolzan fading away amidst tendrils of darkness as they themselves fell through the oblivion once again.

Spyro and Cynder awoke in the room, Bolzan panting and groaning painfully on the ground. Cynder, all too familiar with the pain, leapt from the bed and knelt beside Bolzan along with Spyro. Suddenly, Bolzan grabbed them by their necks, his eyes glowing crimson like Malefor's, a mad grin forming on his face.

"Finally, I've got you." Bolzan said menacingly, his voice a mix of his own and Malefor's. Abruptly, he dropped Spyro and Cynder, clutching his head as he staggered backwards, a pained expression forming on his face. His eyes, even though they remained crimson, still carried traces of his original heart.

"G-Get out of the city, guys, go!" He then warped away in a burst of darkness.

Shortly after he warped away, the entire foundation of the spire began to shake violently as if an earthquake had struck the city. Baero, Ignitus and Solaris rushed into the room and picked them up before they flew out of the collapsed wall into the dimming light.

"What's happening, Ignitus?" Cynder asked as they flew over the city as she was carried by Solaris, now in the process of collapse as the crystal buildings crumbled, large chunks falling to the ground with a mighty crash.

"Lazarus himself is using his strength for something else, he can no longer support the city." Baero explained.

"We weren't around to protect Cynder as we were busy evacuating the city. We expected something like this. Sorry, Spyro." Solaris said.

"It's alright. What happened to Eratos?" Spyro replied.

"He left suddenly in the middle of our battle, presumably to escape." Ignitus replied as they touched down at the outskirts of the city, its walls crumbling to pieces.

"What about Bolzan?" Spyro asked, still concerned for him. They may have been almost strangers but, he'd done so much for him and Cynder that he couldn't help but feel concerned for his wellbeing.

"I have no idea what happened to him, Spyro. But, my instincts tell me he's still somewhere in Lazarus." Ignitus told Spyro.

"We have to go look for him!" Cynder exclaimed but a sudden pain caused her to wince and almost double over.

"We can't, Cynder, the entire city's in ruins, it would take a long time to find him even if we had all the help in the world. You're also going into labor, Cynder." Solaris gently explained to Cynder. She turned to Spyro, her eyes pleading with him. Spyro nodded and turned towards the Guardians.

"We'll go look for him, it's the least we can do for him."

Baero wanted to stop them but he was held back by Ignitus. He reluctantly stepped back and nodded towards Spyro.

"I'll help, Ignitus. Solaris and I are going to stay behind and help. You still have to be the Chronicler, we'll be alright."

Ignitus nodded and his body began to shimmer and fade as he returned to the Chronicler's world.

Although the contractions caused fairly significant pain to Cynder, she still soldiered on and entered the city, determined to find Bolzan. As soon as they stepped into the city, Spyro and Cynder heard Lazarus call out to them. Evidently, Baero and Solaris heard it as well and they took flight towards the ruined spire.

The entire spire was split in half, the top half completely shearing off the foundation, leaving a gaping hole surrounded by fragmented crystals that glimmered faintly in the dying light. They landed on a large crystal that had once been one of the large pillars holding up the spire. Now that it had sheared off, it served fairly well as a platform and the 4 dragons looked down into the large cavern that had formed.

In the middle of the cavern, Lazarus crystal still stood there, shining majestically in the fading sunlight. Nearby, another crystal had formed, connected with Lazarus'. It was covered in intricate ridges and partly resembled a chrysalis that was carrying a butterfly within its shell and it stood suspended on a large pedestal that carried the same intricate patterns.

Intrigued by this, they glided down, Cynder cradled by Spyro, and they touched down next to the crystal. They approached it and upon closer inspection, saw Bolzan encased within it, his scales unnaturally black and red sigils adorned his forearms, body and tail. He looked as if he was smiling, the tips of his mouth raised slightly in a ghost of his final grin. His eyes were closed but Spyro wagered they were still crimson. They lowered their heads in a silent prayer for him, wishing his soul safe passage to the heavens and promptly took off, tears hanging on the sides of Cynder and Spyro's eyes.

As they flew off, large rents formed on the crystal with a loud crack. This caught their attention and they turned around. The bright scarlet light emanating from the cracks almost blinded them but they managed to keep their eyes open. The crystal shattered, their shards hovering around in midair. Bolzan was also floating amidst the crystal frost, his eyes still closed and his scales still jet-black. Abruptly, Bolzan fell to the floor and lay there, breathing heavily. They flew back and kept a wide berth, in case it wasn't really him and it turned out to be Malefor because of the color of his scales.

Their fears were allayed when he lifted his head slightly and opened his eyes. They were still crimson but, somehow, they didn't seem like Malefor's. The playful grin that formed on his face confirmed this fact. They ran towards him and he stood up shakily, the red sigils on his body glowing faintly.

"Hey, guys…" Bolzan said as they approached, clutching his sigils which had ceased glowing.

"Bolzan! You're alright!" Spyro exclaimed as they approached.

"What happened just now?" Cynder asked, relieved that Bolzan was fine but the contractions were getting worse, causing her to double over as Solaris held her. Spyro panicked a little, being a first time father, and ran over to Cynder's side, looking extremely concerned. Baero laughed and placed a paw on Spyro's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Spyro, she'll be fine." Bolzan smiled slightly; glad to see that they were on their way to being a family.

"Seriously, Bolzan, what happened? You just left suddenly after you, or rather, Malefor tried to strangle us." Spyro asked, still by Cynder's side.

"I heard Lazarus telling me to come to him. Malefor was already fighting me in my heart and he won, temporarily. I regained control and headed to Lazarus. There, he told me to place my paw on the crystal. I obliged and he suddenly froze me in a massive crystal. The last thing I remembered was the walls around the cavern collapsing before I blacked out. I was glad it would be over soon." Bolzan explained.

"Inside my heart, Malefor was pretty angry and tried to kill me but Lazarus intervened, trapping a harmless fragment of his heart within me. The rest of Malefor managed to escape, I'm afraid."

"Never mind, we're just glad you're alright. Hey, are you crying?" Spyro said when he saw a small tear run down Bolzan's cheek. Bolzan hurriedly wiped it away as his scales slowly reverted to their usual color, the red sigils fading along with them.

"Huh, don't know what got into me. Maybe it's because I've never really been shown this much care. Maybe it's because I've never really had a "family". I'm not sure…"

"Hey, why don't you come and stay with us? The kids need another godfather, Hunter's already agreed, and you fit the bill!" Cynder suggested, wincing slightly at each contraction.

"Are you sure? We're still effectively strangers, you know…" Bolzan said, unsure of himself.

"Don't worry, you've done more for us than we could ever repay, it's the least we could do." Spyro said warmly.

"You risked your life for my daughter, which was exceptionally selfless of a dragon your age. We'd be honored if you would be godfather to our grandchildren, Bolzan." Solaris said, smiling gently.

"I agree. Besides, we need someone who's capable of rational thought in this family!" Baero guffawed, Spyro and Cynder looked at him indignantly but they couldn't help smiling as well.

"So, what do you say, Bolzan?" Cynder asked.

Bolzan nodded, tears of joy welling up in his eyes.

"I've never had a family before, guess I should get practicing!"

They took off, leaving the ruins of Lazarus to the passage of time, closing this chapter of their lives. Ignitus looked through his hourglass, smiling at the trust formed between them. He closed the book, opening a fresh book and began chronicling the next chapter of their story.

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><p>Malefor's fragmented heart was hovering high above the city, watching the 5 dragons fly off towards the valley of Avalar. No matter, he would find another way to carry out the Great Cleansing. He searched around for another host when he spotted Eratos, standing on the edge of a cliff, looking angrily at Spyro and Cynder.<p>

He warped in front of Eratos in a burst of darkness who, even though he was shocked, knelt down before Malefor.

"Master…"

"You are the one who has worshipped me, I shall not let that go to waste, let me into your heart and we shall crush them. Join me, and I will make you more powerful than you will ever be." Malefor said regally.

Without hesitation, Eratos agreed, partly out of respect for Malefor, partly out of a deep hatred towards Spyro and Cynder.

Malefor entered his heart and he felt a surge of strength course through his body. His right eye glowed bright crimson, an evil grin spreading across his face. He spoke, his voice mixed with Malefor's into an evil, dissonant voice.

"I will have my revenge…"


End file.
